Lies and Lost Truths Of A Broken Soldier
by MajorKris
Summary: War is a small word but of course no one can say what truly happens at the time when they begin. As Cloud and the others go after Sephiroth they meet another who is searching for him as well. Is there more to this than they know? Retelling of FFVII.
1. Pain Of Memories

**Authors Notes**

Hey everyone. Name's MajorKris and I happily introduce my first ever Final Fantasy VII story and to start off, I would like to take the time to explain what it is about.

I myself in particular, am a huge fan of war stories. I absolutely love them and the fact that most of them are true makes me draw to them even more. They are inspiring, compelling, thrilling, and to me offer more dramatic scenes and plot than any thing else imaginable. That is why I decided to give a shot at writing my own using FF VII as my main setting. I chose this because I feel that the Wutai war enactment was somewhat interesting and so I adapted what I hope is a pretty well writing story to base it more around that. I also used this opportunity to provide somewhat entertainment for those who also have a thirst for angst, love, violence, and sex. (Exactly why it's in the M rated section)But it is also a type of narrative script as well. Here's a brief summary.

**Summary**: Getting high up in the ranks is a very impressive feet, for not many can say they acquired the rank of Major at age 23, none the less General. War is a small word but many lies and rumors can spread in no time, especially when barley anyone gets out of it alive. Cloud and Co. soon realize this as the encounter another Ex-Soldier looking for the silver haired general as well, but are his intentions good or is there more to what Shinra is hiding than what they are aware of? Love and aguish follows him wherever he goes and in the end will they trust him or leave him to the fate that was meant for him long ago?

Also, I want to thank all of you, who take the time to read this, it is an OC type of story and I know that OC stories aren't really that popular, but I hope you all will enjoy it since I mostly wrote it just for my own entertainment. Please let me know as well if I do ok, you could say that another reason I'm writing this fic is so I can get better writing practice.

Also, one more thing. This story contains CloudxSepiroth, CloudxAeris, CidxVincent, minor TifaxOC, CidxOC and others I can't think of right now…Just thought I'd let you all know incase this isn't your cup of tea. Thanks again.

**WARNINGS**: (For this chapter) angst, mentions of rape, slight yaoi …mild violence…?

Yes, the OC's are indeed original characters that I own, but I do not own Final Fantasy and all that just to get it out of the way Dx. Enjoy!

**0o0o0o0o0o**

**The Lies and Lost Truths of A Broken Soldier**

_Chapter One: Pain of Memories_

The view outside the window was dark and gloomy as gallons of water from a brutal storm poured from the grey, eerie clouds that blocked out the blue sky above. Thunder crashed repeatedly as the lightening gently lighted the small room that was rented for the night at a broken down inn. A figure shadows the room as the occupant sits up on its bed, attempting so hard to enjoy the cheap branded coffee the inn provided carefully as it tries to block out the disturbing noises outside of its cozy room. Tonight would be the first night of many on this personal journey and even though the mentioned figure spent the last seven years praying on atonement, things needed to be done before this world could move on.

The young man's name is Kris Hawkins, at least, that's the name he's had since he was in the Wutai War. God how he despised that meaningless war, and everything about it; It was only a year ago that it started to haunt him again. His memories came to him in dreams, flashbacks, sometimes even as he walked on by in the streets, trying not to stare at the blank faces of the citizens on this planet for many looked only to be the men who once served under him. Many of Kris' memories were just jumbled up pictures with familiar faces of his friends and comrades who he lost or died by his side, but it was the faces of whom he killed that he remembered more clearly. Screams of pain and the scenery of death filled the air on the battle field, and even the sanest of men eventually lost their minds from the rivers of blood and anguish.

The great battles between skilled ninjas, samurais, and enhanced human soldiers brought him nightmares and filled him with regret almost each day and night. The Ex-SOLDIER remembered screams and cries of horror and suffering as the Wutaiians were quickly wiped out by the powerful men with their long blades and assault rifles in a matter of seconds, mostly from the first fleet themselves. There was another man he remembered as well, a tall handsome man with long silver hair and a mighty sword that could take out a whole fleet if deemed necessary. Bodies covered the ground in as little as twenty minutes, as trails of blood flowed down the grassy hill and into a nearby river that soon flooded with fallen men from both sides. Kris could only remember himself standing in the middle of the battle field, gripping his sword and gun tightly, shooting any Wutaiian that dared come after him and his men. Not once did he miss his target as every Wutaiian samurai and warrior he shot at died on cue before ever hitting the ground.

"Dammit…" Kris whispered to the empty room, gripping his cup so tightly that a small crack appeared on the side of it. "Why did it have to come to that? Damn you Godo for being so goddamn stubborn! If you had just listened to us…Listened to Sephiroth…So many of your people could have been saved!" It was only them that Kris' mind began to fade back again, his eyes quickly going heavy.

**0o0o0o0o**

The bloodshed continued as rain began to pour from the sky. Kris could have sworn he heard the Wutaiian Gods crying as the rain quickly covered him. The cool water washed away the blood and dirt from his smooth young face as he began to fight hand-to-hand with one of the martial artists now that he was out of ammo and his sword badly damaged. Soft snow white hair flowed behind him in his now slick ponytail as he flipped and dodged the Wutaiian man's punches and kicks quite easily, frowning sadly at him before quickly kicking him down into the dirt; finishing him off with one of his own comrades blades.

It wasn't long before The Wutaiian general found him and his men surrounded by the mako-enhanced killing machines. He knew he wouldn't have a chance against the Shinra General and Major and cursed to himself silently as he forced his tired body to run toward the bridge that connected the high mountains to Wutai, which was only about fifty miles away. He decided to take drastic measures and try to wipeout the bridge to give Wutai more time to prepare for the final battle against Shinra.

The samurai general quickly picked up one of the fallen ninja's sword and slashed at the ropes with full force. The bridge gave out and fell into the darkness below it as many soldiers screamed in terror as they too fell along with it. The sight caused Kris to cringe slightly as he watched his men fall to their deaths, but he quickly tried to hide it. It was only then that the young leader smirked slightly as he witnessed his men curse and swear loudly as they attempted to fire at the Wutaiian general, but unfortunately they were to far away to do much damage. Kris snorted slightly as he watched a particular red haired SOLDIER curse loudly and give away a rather vulgar phrase with one of his fingers toward the samurai general rather childishly as he then pulled at his hair in frustration.

The rain continued to pour harder and harder, soaking Kris to the bone as he shivered and waited to counsel with the general about their next move. His glowing green eyes scanned the area thoroughly once their own general approached to be sure that they were alone. As Sephiroth approached Kris had ordered his men to go back and treat the wounded.

"Well. It would appear that they found a way to retreat again. By the time we get across and arrive to Wutai they will be prepared for us."

"It doesn't matter," Kris replied to his superior, "We knew that one day we would have to fight them head on, and I believe that once Godo sees what we plan to do and actually sees his men and people begin to die, he will finally do the right thing and surrender. I know that neither of us had wanted this, but if Godo continues to fight back there will be no end to this war. We both know that as high as his pride and greed is that he is a coward."

Sephiroth only closed his eyes and frowned as he heard this and handed the shorter yet just as powerful man his canteen. Kris took it gratefully and drank his share as a young private began to approach.

"Sirs!" The man saluted as his spoke, "We just got word from Shinra that Highwind's air fleet has arrived and is available for transportation."

"Highwind?" Kris questioned slightly, "I see…Thank you, tell the men to prepare to leave, and for those dead take their dog tags and have the medic hold on to them as he continues to treat the wounded. We may not have time to bury the dead this time, and my wounded men come first so let Highwind know this, understand?"

"Umm…But." The private slowly moved his eyes to the ground then looked toward Sephiroth who was laughing once he remembered that Kris often forgot that he was no longer the same rank as him and so still gave orders as usual.

"It's alright, that's fine by me. Get going," Sephiroth said sternly as he watched the young man jog to the other side of the field before looking back to the shorter man, "You're still the same as ever. How often are you going to forget that I am in charge now? Or am I to suspect that you still have a little grudge about the fact that I got this promotion instead of you." Sephiroth joked just to get some amusement out of his fellow head of command.

"Oh shut up," Kris replied as he gave a childish pout, causing the general to smirk as he received a punch in the arm, "I'm proud of you! It's just I'm not used to being second in command."

Kris then sighed and sneezed from being in the cold, wet rain for so long as he shivered, "Damn rain! This was exactly why I hate it! All the rain ever does is either slow down our fighting or threaten to put our men in sick bay." He sneezed again but repeatedly this time then froze slightly as he then heard Sephiroth speak once again.

"Colonel Dwight is on his way Kris. He'll want a full report about how this is going so far and he will want to see what we plan for our next move. We should get going; I don't think he'll have much patience for you after…"

"Yes, yes I know." Kris stated in irritation, wishing he had a drink at the moment. "Damn old man--"

The blow to the back of his head came fast and hard as it then sent Kris falling to the ground, making him see stars through his blurred vision. He struggled to stay awake as Sephiroth cried out his name in the darkness. But before he blacked out, he heard a cold, darkly voice echo in the back of his mind.

"Sephiroth..!"

Kris cried out and sat up as his dream once again woke him up to reality with a cold sweat and a racing heart beat. His memories were going to be the death of him soon, and he somehow felt that it may be true. Kris flinched slightly as another blast of thunder shook the small inn and sighed in frustration realizing it must have been the storm that triggered his dream.

Kris began to believe that the silver haired general was going to haunt him for the rest of his life, but yet he felt that he very much deserved it.

"After all…" Kris whispered, "I'm the reason you…"

Kris felt a burning sensation sting his eyes as he then clenched them tightly. He could never forgive himself for what happened…If only he knew…If only he…

Knowing full well he wouldn't be getting any sleep now, Kris sighed and reached over his bed to pick up his guitar; gently plucking a few strings as the rain outside his window continued to fall heavily.

This was indeed going to be the first of sleepless nights out of many.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Women.

Yeah that's right, women. Is it really just one word to most people? Of course it is! But the definition and what it represents is much more than that. Just that word alone is enough to bring confusing and stress into almost any mans mind. Cloud found this word to have quite an effect on him as well as he thought about the two particular subjects that were in his group, and it was very difficult for him to understand how in the world their species could be so different in comparison to each other.

Why do you ask? Well here are the basics of it.

Ever since Cloud was a kid he tried hard to get the attention of the ever popular Tifa Lockhart back in his hometown, but all she ever did was ignore him and pick on him for his short stature. One of the main reasons he joined SOLDIER was to impress her, and it was only when he left that she began to be more open with him, writing to him almost every week as he too did the same. It was then with this pen pal experience that Could realized that Tifa would never have feelings for him, it came to him quite clearly once Tifa politely broke the news to him in one of the letters after he finally brought up the courage to write her feelings out to her. It was hard at first, but Cloud still had a place for her in his heart and he knew he did in hers, and so the writing continued as it did among many good friends.

He did however know that Tifa had become much kinder and happier now that he's been with her again. But it seemed that even still she didn't have feelings for him. He could accept that, and even so she was still a very good friend to him.

Aeris however, was indeed kind like Tifa but she seemed more innocent, and to Cloud she was the most admirable woman he has ever met. She was always the caring one in the group, healing and attending to the wounded, but was also a strong fighter both mentally and physically. Cloud loved being with her, even it was just the smallest things like sharing a smile, or laughing at a cheesy joke. The day he fell on her flower bed and saw her for the first time, he thought she was an angel. She gave him a small reassuring smile as he finally came out of consciousness, returning her gift by admiring her lovely eyes and gentle hair. Cloud could have sworn that he smiled dumbly up at her which must be what caused Aeris to laugh for him for the first time.

The small group had just escaped from Midgar after rescuing Aeris, and were staying at an inn in the small city of Kalm to think about their next move. Nanaki was the newest in the group, and was more than willing to help if it meant returning to his hometown soon. It didn't take long for the group to realize how intelligent and helpful the talking lion was once they rescued him as well.

After a short rest, it was decided that Cloud should tell them about Sephiroth, and about the events of five years ago. Cloud was hesitant at first, but quickly found the will to do so as Aeris gave him a smile from the bed she sat on next to Nanaki, with Tifa and Barret staring at him across from her on the other set of beds. After a long pause, Cloud started his story of arriving to Nibelium five years ago on a mission to check out the reactor in the mountains behind his hometown. He claimed that he was a first class soldier that had become good friends with Sephiroth after the war, but was also the first to realize the sudden change in the General after they arrived at the small town.

When Tifa had escorted them to the reactor, he noticed that Sephiroth had become anxious and nervous as he explored the probes that were linked inside. The probes were filled with mako enhanced humans, but they weren't the same as soldiers. They had become monsters, sins against nature, and Sephiroth couldn't bare being there. He became violent and then suddenly quiet as he made his way back to Nibelium, and hid himself in the library in the basement of the Shinra Mansion.

Sephiroth had then spent many hours down in the library, and never stopped reading, no matter how many times Cloud begged him to rest or eat. Cloud then came down one last time to see Sephiroth, and was surprised to see that Sephiroth was no longer reading the research files, but was glaring at Cloud with a deadly smirk.

No one noticed Cloud's expression at the time, but it showed a slight bit of nervousness and hate in his eyes. Cloud wasn't going to say to his friends everything that went on in the basement that night, but his mind kept wandering back to the night with Sephiroth he'll never forget….

**0o0o0o0o**

"Oh, it's the traitor…."

Cloud stared at Sephiroth with confusion in his eyes. He couldn't understand why Sephiroth was being cold to him the past few days, and was starting to feel as though this was not the Sephiroth he remembered. But, there was no doubt that he could recognize the certain smug look in Sephiroth's expression.

"Traitor?" Cloud asked hesitantly. His voice becoming shaky as he watched Sephiroth start to rise from behind the book covered desk.

Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the young man's confused expression before answering him.

"That's right. You and the ancestors, you come from are nothing but traitors! This planet belonged to the ancients many years ago, but then your ancestors came and over populated. Eventually, you overran them. I can never forgive you for that Cloud, but soon, mother will take over this planet with me at her side, and we will start a new world together!"

Sephiroth moved himself toward Cloud, making the boy step back till he back hit the bookcase behind him. Cloud's shaking became noticeable as his hand twitched slightly as he looked up at Sephiroth with both confusion and fear.

The older man scared Cloud nearly to death as he raised his blade to the young boys throat, forcing Cloud to stare wide eyed then scream as a small scratch and the color of red appeared on his neck. The small wound wasn't enough to kill him, but none the less it hurt. It was easy to tell that Sephiroth was enjoying the thrill of hurting the boy and felt a strong urge to force the cadet to beg and cry out for mercy.

The memory of Sephiroth near him made his skin crawl even still…His grip bruising his body, the hot breath on his neck…The pain of when he forced himself inside him…It was all to much for the young man at the moment.

Cloud didn't even want to comprehend what happened that night. He tried hard to forget about it but he just couldn't, and the scars were still there…There was no way he was going to tell them about what really happened…Not any of them…

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Cloud?"

Silence

"Cloud!"

Cloud flinched slightly as he drew out of his memories once again, only to see the concerned faces of his friends. Aeris was next to him with her hand gently on his arm, trying to comfort the young man gently with a small, worried smile.

"Are you alright? You began to stare in to space for a long time, and then you looked like you were in pain."

Cloud couldn't help but smile slightly, as he gently hugged the young woman as small thanks, unaware of the blush on her cheeks or the grinning Tifa who was petting Nanaki's fur on the bed.

"I'm alright, Aeris, but thank you. Sorry about that everyone, I'll continue now," He gently let go of Aeris, whom smiled at him sweetly and took her seat again as Tifa winked at her with all knowing knowledge as Aeris sat back down across from her. Aeris couldn't help but smile from her friend's expression.

Once again, the story carried on.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Once Cloud finally left the basement; he was greeted with the sight of flames that had consumed his whole town. He sank to his knees from disbelief as more tears threatened to escape his eyes. The blond quickly shut his eyes tightly and held them back as he ran toward his home. He prayed and begged for his mother to be alright, please, please, let her be alright!

Cloud ran as fast as he could as he finally saw his house, it was covered in flames as it looked as though it may fall at any minute. He didn't care about this and quickly ran inside, using a piece of his now tattered uniform to cover his mouth to keep out the smoke.

"Mom!" He cried out desperately for her, quickly passing the hall and arriving into the small cramped kitchen. Part of the ceiling had already fallen onto the floor and erupted in flames; almost giving Cloud's young heart a have a heart attack when he noticed the body laying crushed under it, he dropped the fabric to the ground.

Cloud ran to her, kneeling by her and shaking her to try and wake her up. Tears stung his eyes from smoke and grief as the wet substance ran down his cheeks again. He begged for her to wake up. "Mom, please don't die on me, please don't leave me!" He held her tightly as he pulled her out of the wreckage, pulling her to his chest and then looks down at his mothers, lovely face. She looked so peaceful lying in his arms; she was always full of life. She was ambitious, smart, kind, and the best baker. Cloud smiled slightly as the tears continued to fall, and gently dripped onto his mother's now pale face.

He hugged her against him one last time, and kissed her forehead gently as he muffles a small sob as he spoke, "I love you, mom…" Cloud stroked her hair back one last time and left his house without looking back. As soon as he left, the house collapsed completely. The flames roared as it consumed the last of Cloud's home, just like the general who took his heart and innocence away. But now, this was too much, this was going too far.

Cloud felt anger and hatred bubble up inside him. The tears stopped, but his soul screamed for justice and revenge. He turned and looked through the flames, catching a glance of silver hair as the towns people begged for the tall figure to stop. But instead, he slashed them all one by one till there was no one left. The figure turned and spotted Cloud, and an evil, vile smirk formed on his lips as he then turned and left for the mountains.

Cloud didn't hesitate this time. He quickly ran after the man not stopping for anything as he finds one of the other cadet's buster swords and drags it with him. He soon arrived at the reactor, quickly dashing inside as he noticed a tall brunette kneeling by a man on the floor. It didn't take time for Cloud to realize it was Tifa and quickly ran after her, not wanting to lose anyone else.

Tifa was crying as she kneeled next to the body of her father. He tried to avenge the town which only turned to be his downfall, leaving his daughter all alone in the world now. The young woman screamed out and picked up Sephiroth's sword and quickly ran inside the reactor.

Cloud tried to call out for her to stop, but the girl was to far away to hear him. Tifa ran toward Sephiroth, carrying the sword behind her, as she then attempted to slash at him. Sephiroth caught her easily though, and grinned at her as she was lifted up from the ground.

The blow came fast and hard as Tifa was slashed across the chest, her limp body launched back against the flight of stairs, as Cloud could only watch horrified. Sephiroth just looked down at her and laughed mockingly at the girl's weakness and went deeper inside the reactor, stepping inside what appeared to be Jenova's domain.

Tifa continued to lay limp at the bottom of the stairs, gasping for air as a small trail of blood dripped down her chin from her mouth. Cloud quickly ran to her side and held her up, calling for her gently. His childhood crush could only lean against him, silently begging for warmth as her body drew cold. The soldier picked her up gently and laid her against the wall of the building, stroking her face and hair gently as he tries to smile reassuringly to her, but was failing horribly. The girl opened her eyes slightly and attempted a small, but sad smile. "You said…that when I was in trouble, you'd come and save me…Right?"

Cloud choked back a sob as he brushed her cheek gently, feeling his heart rip into pieces again. "Yeah…That's right…"

Tifa smiled weakly and rested against the wall as she closed her eyes again. Falling into unconsciousness, as her childhood friend cried helplessly once again.

"I'm sorry, Tifa…"

The soldier picked up his sword and ran after Sephiroth; he stood behind the madman and looked up at him. The general had his arms spread wide open in front of this blue alien creature. The sight of it was sickening and grotesque, but Sephiroth looked at it as if it was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. This sight itself, made Cloud want to vomit.

"Sephiroth! How could you?! My home! My family! How could you do this to them!? How could you do this to me?!" Cloud held back a sob, not wanting to appear weak in front of this man. Sephiroth only turned and laughed at the boy, which only pissed off Cloud even more.

"Now, now, no need to get angry Cloud. Soon the world will be purified, and mother will get what she deserves. And I will rule this land with her." Sephiroth smirked at Cloud and held out his hand. "Will you join me Cloud?"

Cloud spat at the floor angrily, as he looked up at him. "Fuck you! I'll kill you! You're not the Sephiroth I know anymore!" Sephiroth could only stare amused at Cloud, as the young soldier rushed toward him with buster sword in his hand, and the look of a murderer upon his face.

And then suddenly, the world grew dark.

**0o0o0o**

"Thas' it!?" Barret asked angrily with an annoyed expression on his face.

Cloud could only shrug then stare at the ground, kicking his feet slightly as he puts a hand on his hips. "That's all I can remember, everything else is black after that."

The group couldn't find much to say after hearing Cloud's story. Disbelief and anguish washed over them, and a certain brunette just stared at him rather concerned as the older girl across from her looked to be on the verge of tears. Until finally the flower girl spoke up, clasping her hands together as she forced a smile on her face. "Let's get some rest; we have a big day tomorrow as we go look for Sephiroth."

The group stared at her then nodded in silent agreement as each one took a bed while the red lion took a nice comfortable spot on a wool rug. Silence broke through the dimly lit room, until a certain gun-armed man started to snore rather loudly. Unfortunately for Cloud, he was the only one who couldn't sleep through the loud snorts of the man, and sighed in frustration as he tossed a pillow over his head.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Meanwhile, a certain bored and exhausted guitar player continued to lean against the cool wall of his small room, as he looked across the street from his dirty and cracked window. It was unknown to him that Cloud and party were just in the inn across the street, but it would only be a matter of hours that he would meet them all for the first time. Kris truly didn't believe that anyone else would be looking for him besides himself, but then again a lot can happen in a short time of seven years. If this is big enough to make Shinra become worried, then who knows what others may be involved. But either way, for the sake of Kris Hawkins this was just an attempt to make things right again.

Make things right…If only it were so easy.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Well, that's chapter one. I was a little hesitant about this at first, but thanks to iWillhexyou and my love for their support, I think I'm alright with it so far. Please go on to the next chapter and feel free to message me or leave a review. I would love to hear how my work will be judged among the masses. I promise I'll work hard to make it better, I am doing this for better practice after all.


	2. Confrontations With Conversation

_Chapter Two: Confrontations with Conversation_

It was morning by the time the rain finally died down in the small town of Kalm, illuminating the buildings with glimmering light as the sun came out of its hiding behind the grey clouds. The town began to celebrate with delight as a new day gave way to businesses and opportunities to those who hardly got any customers due to the rain, except for the local bar that is, which thanked last nights visitors with hangovers from their drinking games. Many of the townsfolk whom were awake at the early hour were already out on the street visiting merchant stands, as the women fiddled in groups and gossiped over the news of their neighboring city Midgar as well as each other. The men however talked of politics and money from the tax on electricity increasing. By noon, children flooded the streets for fun in the puddles as stray dogs came out of hiding to dig for scraps in the local trash cans.

The AVALANCHE group was too up at this hour, all except for Cloud that is, who somehow managed to fall asleep only a few hours ago. As he awoke he noticed that his comrades were already gone; probably out looking for a few supplies to prepare for the journey ahead. Cloud knew it would take them awhile, due to the lack of gil that was in their pockets it would definitely take some patient haggling. Cloud felt a strong urge to go back to sleep, but to his surprise a yell came from below that caused him to groan in frustration.

"Yo Spikey! Get yer' scrawny ass down 'ere!" The voice undoubtedly belonged to Barret, and not willing to make himself look lazy, Cloud slowly got up from the comfort of his bed and prepared to head out. After Cloud had washed up from his wonderful hot shower he quickly got dressed and headed down stairs; His buster sword hanging over his back quite professionally.

To his surprise however Barret was no where in sight, but the lovely flower girl was standing before him offering Cloud that smile of hers.

"Good morning!" Aeris spoke energetically as she continued to smile, forcing Cloud's heart to skip a beat as he tried to play it cool.

"Ah-yes, good morning Aeris." Cloud then looked around as he spoke, finding the inn somewhat empty except the owner at the desk, "Where is everyone?"

"Tifa went out to get some supplies and Barret and Nanaki are out looking for some information to see if Sephiroth came this way. And as for me, I'm here just to make sure that you didn't over sleep!"

Cloud gave a nervous smile as she said this, finding himself scratching the back of his head from slight embarrassment, "Heh, nah I'm awake." Cloud stated simply as he too smiled back at her.

"Oh! That's not all either!" Aeris cried out as she pulled out a device from a simple pink bag she uses to carry her share of materia and supplies. She then walked over to Cloud and grabbed his left hand, placing the device into his open palm.

As Aeris pulled away he looked down at the device rather curiously until a question came from his mouth, "A PHS?"

"That's right! Now whenever we're in different parties you can talk to me whenever you like!" The young flower girl spoke happily as she winked at Cloud, giggling to herself slightly as she noticed the small blush appearing on the tough swordsman's face. She then walked around him, her hands clasped behind her back and turns her head back toward him as she heads towards then inn's breakfast lobby, "Shall we get some breakfast as we wait for the others?" asked Aeris simply as she smiled.

Cloud only nodded as he followed her, finding now that his stomach was beginning to growl from the lack of food the past few hours. Aeris however only laughed as she took his hand and guided him toward the lobby, "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

**0o0o0o0o0o**

Meanwhile down a few blocks from where the inn was Barret, Nanaki, and Tifa were doing the jobs they agreed to do. But unfortunately, it all wasn't working as well as planned.

"Barret, maybe no one would run away from you if you didn't threaten to shoot them when you demand for their information." Stated the young lion as he shakes his head in shame from Barret's behavior towards the men whom claimed they didn't know anything about the General the group was looking for, "Perhaps you should let me ask the next person we see."

"Shuddup Mufasa! I ain't taken no orders from the likes of you! Besides, won't that jus' freak out the next guy we ask for info?! I mean c'mon, it's not ever'day that you meet a talkin' oversized cat! Besides I'm bein' professional 'ere!" cried out the frustrated gunman as everyone that came near the pair quickly took off in a panic. It was only a few moments ago when Barret grabbed a local merchant by the shirt collar, shaking the poor man and threatening him to speak or else he would, 'Put a cap in his ass.'

Nanaki however just shook his head, sighing as he silently wished Tifa was here to control this beast he was paired to put up with, "I see your point. But please, stop calling me Mufasa."

"Whateva' Nala." Barret stated as Nanki growled, showing his teeth slightly in annoyance. He certainly hoped Tifa was doing better with the supplies than they were with this task.

**O0o0o0o0o**

"Excuse me!" A young, pretty young woman said sweetly as she tried to get the attention of the old man working at the counter. The old man turned around slowly, giving the young girl named Tifa an old, toothless but polite smile.

"Well! Thank you for visiting my shop young lady! What can I do for you?"

"Well…" began Tifa as she reached for the bag that contained the groups gil, "I'm a little short on cash, but my friends and I plan on heading out on a fun trip together, and I am in need of some supplies…Can we work out a deal of some kind?"

The old man closed his eyes and began to think to himself, stroking the somewhat long beard on his chin until he nodded his head and smiled, "Well, how much to you have young miss?"

Tifa then took the bag and hung it upside down, dumping the gil onto the counter as she then took a few minutes to count the small pile until she came to a conclusion. The young girl blushed slightly and smiled somewhat embarrassed as she put a finger to her cheek. "I'm afraid all I have is five hundred gil…"

"Only five hundred?!" Cried out the old man in shock as he shook his head and frowned, "I'm afraid that there isn't much supplies you can get with such a small amount, the most you can buy is probably only ten potions, but if you were to run into some of those monsters out there you wouldn't last to long with just that! You would also need antidotes and food as well as a tent in case you had to camp out. Not to mention the thieves that walk around the area at night, particularly in the woods…"

"Alright, alright, I get it." Spoke Tifa in frustration as she crossed her arms over her chest. Tifa then decided to try a different approach and smiled more sweetly and winked flirtatiously at the old man as she bent over the counter, "Can you please give me a discount mister? My friends are counting on me to get the supplies! Pretty please?"

To Tifa's surprise however the old man didn't even change his frowned expression and looked away as he continued to place items back on the shelf. "I'm sorry little missy, but I don't do that sort of thing here. I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with what you got and take what you can. If you do however decide to make a purchase, let me know."

Tifa could only pout as the old man said those words, she thought for sure that she could get the discount if she played the cute card, but it looks like that this old man was more greedy than he looked. It was either that or he was gay. Sighing in defeat Tifa began to turn around to leave, only to find that she bumped her nose into someone's chest. Tifa felt herself stagger until the stranger held her shoulders to help the young girl avoid falling over.

"Excuse me." Said Tifa as she looked up to see who she bumped into, filling her eyes staring back at bright, somewhat glowing green eyes that reminded her of a painful memory from long ago. Tifa then looked more closely at the face of the one she ran into and let out a sigh of relief once she realized it wasn't whom her heart thought it would be.

"It's alright." Said the young looking man that Tifa looked back up at to as he spoke, meeting a gentle gaze from the eyes she feared as well as a handsome smile, "No need to apologize miss, hope I didn't break your nose." The voice spoke jokingly.

"Oh, n-no" Tifa said as she laughed slightly and backed up somewhat as the man let go of her shoulders. "Thank you…goodbye then." Tifa walked around him quickly feeling a need to get out of the store and away from the man.

"Um, actually." The man began as Tifa looked back to him, feeling her uneasiness die down only slightly, "I couldn't help but hear the trouble that you're in, and if you'd like…I'd be happy to help you pay for them."

Tifa looked up at the man questionably, finding his kindness somewhat unbelievable but then again the look and expression on his face offered a comfort to her somehow. It was then that Tifa was able to get a better look at the man. He was somewhat taller than Cloud and even had the same scrawny figure but had a good amount of muscle on his arms, and no doubt everywhere else. The man carried a guitar on his back, but Tifa couldn't see much of the design on it for she was standing in front of him, but his clothes seemed to explain it enough of why he carried the guitar. He wore a pair of black cargo pants that fit him loosely and he wore a black T-shirt with a white long-sleeved undershirt underneath it. The shirt, like the pants, were somewhat baggy but it still fit him well, and as good looking and pretty as his face was Tifa couldn't get a look at his hair, for it was hiding under a black cotton knit pull-on cap. Tifa believed that he was good looking as well, mostly because of the pretty boy face he had.

"…Miss?" The young man asked somewhat worried as Tifa then shook her head and smiled as she came out of her trance, deciding that as long as the man was willing to give why stop him?

"I would appreciate it so much! My friends as well!" Cried Tifa as she then clung her arms tightly around the stranger's right arm, feeling a big shopping urge go through her body. The young man couldn't help but feel some type of regret for offering his help and thinks to himself that perhaps he should try not being so nice all the time once Tifa dragged him up to the shelves and began grabbing objects of different kinds, tossing them onto the counter where the old man continued to ignore them.

After what seemed to be twenty minutes Tifa had gathered all she believed she would need. The young man who Tifa still had his arm tightly began to smile nervously at the huge pile until he looked down at the young girl who had a smile of victory plastered on her face, "Are…Are you sure all this is necessary? I mean, I doubt you'll need so many grenades, not to mention the dragon fangs and cornucopias. You didn't even buy any food rations yet."

"You think so? I never went on such a long trip before so I guess I got a little carried away." Spoke Tifa as they both looked to the old man who let out a loud cry of surprise from the huge pile of objects sitting at his counter once he brought his attention back the two of them.

Realizing that this was going to be a big waist of money, the stranger decided to take matters back into his own hands. "Here, since it's my money I'll help you get the supplies you're really going to need. But first, let's clear this up for the poor old man."

Within thirty minutes, the pair had managed to clean up the mess they made and grab the essentials, Tifa learned quite a bit from the stranger, and even learned about different herbs and medicines that would be helpful to injuries so that she wouldn't have to be depended on such things like potions and materia. He even bought her a newer high-tech compass and a new map to help them on their travels.

Then as that was over they finally made their purchase and at a good budget that the stranger was quite pleased with. Tifa couldn't help but smile gratefully as they walked out of the store taking the bags that he offered to help her carry back to the inn. "Thank you so much stranger!" Tifa cried out as she hugged the man, who couldn't really do much but stand their as he carried the young woman's bags in both his hands.

"Really, it was no trouble at all, I'm just glad I was able to offer you some help."

Tifa then took the bags and began to carry them herself, feeling a little guilty for taking advantage of his kindness, "My name's Tifa just so you know. Would you like to let me introduce you to my friends? I'm sure they would like to thank you for helping me!"

"No thank you, Miss Tifa. I'm afraid I have to be on my way as well. Take care of yourself." But just as the young man began to walk away, Tifa cried out to him.

"Hey! At least tell me your name! That way I can find you once I come back and repay you!"

The young man only smiled, feeling perhaps that even though the girl was very kind hearted that he didn't trust giving his name, and so by offering her just a small wave he took off and vanished quickly from Tifa's sight. Tifa was left there somewhat speechless as she tried to find her kind, mysterious stranger, feeling somewhat disappointed that he left so suddenly. He could have made a good teammate with all his advice, but then again it may be a bad idea to get such good people in such a mess that they were all in.

"But those eyes…" Tifa whispered as she looked back to when she first saw her stranger, wondering perhaps if he too like Cloud was once in the military. Tifa then drifted her mind to Cloud feeling somewhat distressed from the story he told just last night. "Cloud…What has happened to you over these years…?"

**0o0o0o0o**

"I told you, I don't know anything! Please don't hurt me, I'm just trying to deliver the morning paper!" cried out Barret's latest victim, ignoring the pleas of Nanaki who was trying to bring reason to the impatient man.

"Barret, please! Control yourself! It's obvious he doesn't know anything, so put him down!"

"Shuddup! I ain't going anywhere till this guy speaks! I gots' a good feelin' this time! Now answa' me!" yelled Barret as he once again shook the man from the ground. Nanaki was however loosing his patience and swung his paw out, scratching Barret in his good arm in one swipe which caused enough of an injury to force Barret to let the man go so he could get away. The man certainly didn't let the opportunity go to waste.

"What the hell is wrong with ya' you over grown cat! He gots' away because of you!" cried out Barret with more anger as he suddenly turned his gun arm towards Nanki who quickly jumped out of the way in order to try and reason with him.

"Barret calm down! We're getting no where this way! I'm on your side, remember?"

"Oh yeah?! For all I know you could be some sort of weapon Shinra sent in order to 'ave a better eye on us!" Bullets were then shot into the air, Nanaki knew right away that he somewhat had Barret's trust it was just that the man was on edge, just as the rest of us.

"You know that is not true. Now please, let us go back to the inn, perhaps we can have the others help us out with this task."

"…Yeah, whateva'…" spoke Barret as he finally cooled down, following Nanaki back to the inn with his head down, somewhat looking around as everyone quickly got out of their way once again. It was only then that Barret noticed the giant bulletin board in the middle of the city that contained different fliers and such crowded against each other. Barret didn't know why he was so transfixed on it at first, but it was only then that he noticed the five posters freshly posted on the top.

"What the hell!?" Barret cried as he immediately caught the attention of Nanaki who came running back up to him.

"What is it? What's the matter?"

"Look! The sons of bitches already put wanted posters of us here! Then tha' must mean that…"

Nanaki nodded his head, finishing the statement that Barret trailed off from, "Let's quickly find the others; I wouldn't be surprised if anyone who already saw these reported us in. Mostly thanks to your 'interrogation' skills, as you call them."

"Don't wanna hear it Mufasa!"

The pair quickly made it back to the inn as fast as they could; carrying the posters of themselves as Barret ripped them from where they were placed.

**0o0o0o0o**

"So you honestly never left Midgar before?" Cloud asked as he and Aeris finished eating the free breakfast they enjoyed quite peacefully.

"Nope! After I was left in the care of mother, I can't really remember much of my life before that. I often wonder what my real parents were like though…particularly my true mother."

"Because she was an Ancient…or a Cetra as they called them, right?" Cloud spoke as he eyed the girl softly.

"That's right. But even so, I can still feel her near me. I often wonder about my father though. I never had any idea who he was since I was only founded with my mother present at the time. But even so, my foster mom has always treated me as her own. I believe I live a pretty good life."

"I have no reason not to believe you, she did take good care of Marlene after all, and the fact that she agreed to continue taking care of her was good of her. She reminds me of my mom a little."

"Really? What was she like?" Aeris asked curiously not noticing the somewhat sad look in Cloud's eyes.

"She was very kind as well, even though she was somewhat bossy. She had me while she was young and even had to raise me on her own after my dad died in the war. She was rather surprised when I told her I wanted to join the Shinra Military Academy, but I knew that deep down she was proud of me for I reminded her so much then of dad. Before then I was rather short and shy, I wasn't that strong either, but when I saw her again she looked so happy…"

Aeris frowned slightly as she remembered how Cloud told them how he lost his mother, and so reached for his hand and held it tightly from under the table. Cloud looked up somewhat surprised but still gave a small smile to her, thanking her for the sentiment as he too squeezed back.

It was then that a sudden loud voice came through the room, forcing Cloud and Aeris to look at the figure of Tifa come into the room, a smile plastered on her face as she carried her bags with her. "I'm back, and I brought goodies everyone!"

Aeris couldn't help but laugh as she quickly stood up to help Tifa with the bags, receiving a rather tight thank you hug from Tifa as the martial artist took a seat in an extra chair that was at the table the coupled shared.

"Man I'm beat! Shopping is really no fun by myself, Aeris you should come with me next time!" Spoke Tifa as Aeris replied with a laugh and a heartfelt, "You bet!" as she too took a seat at the table with the bags collected onto the table.

"So how did it go?" Cloud asked.

"Very well!" replied Tifa, "Truthfully I didn't expect to get much with our money after we bought the PHS', but then this really nice looking guy offered to help me pay for them. He even gave me some tips so that I knew what to buy the next time we need supplies."

"Seriously?" Cloud said somewhat surprised that someone actually offered to help but then went back to Tifa with another question, "How much was it?"

"Ummm, I believe it was around…five thousand." Tifa responded casually.

"What!?" cried Aeris and Cloud at the same time, causing Tifa to cover her ears and flinch from the sudden yelling as the other guests looked toward them. "You can't be serious!? No one is that generous!"

"But he was! I swear!" Tifa persisted, "But what surprised me even more is that I believe he was in the military. He had glowing green eyes, like yours Cloud! I think he used to be one of the first few mako-injected soldiers."

"Are you telling me that a SOLDIER helped you!? Tifa he could have been working with Shinra for all we know! What if he had recognized you?! Ugh, you're so reckless!" Cloud somewhat shouted as Aeris tried to calm him down by gripping his soldier.

"I realized that too!" Tifa shouted back as she pouted, "But really he was such a nice guy, but he didn't give me his name when I asked for it…I really wanted to make it up to him…"

"He probably didn't give you his name because he was about to report where we are! Forget the information, we should leave and get going as soon as possible. The longer we stay here the closer Shinra is to locating us. Let's find Barret and Nanaki and get out of here." Cloud sighed as he said this, feeling a headache coming on from the events he just learned. Perhaps they wouldn't last to long after all.

It was only then that Barret's huge form came busting into the inn, almost knocking down the doorman into the wall as Nanaki followed behind, "We got bad news, ya'll! Check it." Barret threw the posters towards their leader, causing Cloud to grit in annoyance until he realized what was in front of him.

"Wanted posters?" Tifa asked out loud as she and Aeris looked over Cloud's shoulders to get a better view of them. They were simple black and white photos of the group, and were bad ones at that. Aeris guessed that they tried getting images of them from the surveillance cameras back Shinra to get more recent glimpses of them, but even so a list of their characteristics was filled underneath each individual's picture.

"Wow, each of us are worth five hundred thousand, except Cloud though he's worth six thousand!" cried out the young flower girl in amazement, getting a strange yet amused look from Cloud.

"I doubt it's a contest Aeris." Cloud responded.

"It's so exciting!" cried Tifa as she smiled, "I feel like I'm in one of those old black and white action films that we would watch as kids!"

"Tifa…" Cloud sighed as he shook his head, not seeing this as a good thing at all.

"Hey wait." Spoke Aeris as she took an extra poster that was stuck to the back of Cloud's, it was somewhat dirty and older looking, but either way it caught Aeris' attention.

"What is it, Aeris?" Nanaki asked as he finished scratching an itch on his ear.

"It's another wanted poster, but this time it's not for any of us." Aeris then looked toward the price of this man's bounty and let out a surprised gasp that caught the attention of Tifa next to her.

"What is it? Let me see!" Cried Tifa as she moved against the girl in order to get a look at it as well, but then it was Tifa who let out a surprised gasp as she cried out, "One million gil!? But…how is that possible?"

"Well, it's not like we're the only criminals around." Spoke Cloud as he took the poster back from the girls before flinching as Tifa gave out another shout.

"But that's not it! That's the guy who helped me with the today with the supplies! I don't believe he's a bad person at all!"

"What!?" cried out the group once again, this time with the extra voices of Nanaki and Barret in the mix, even though they didn't really know what she was talking about.

"Oh Tifa…What if he tried to harm you?" Spoke Aeris as she shook her head at the younger girl.

"But I swear! What if he's on the run for going against Shinra as well? They're the ones who post these things anyway! I bet if we asked him to join us he would be very helpful!"

"Tifa we don't know anything about the guy! For all we know he could be some sadistic serial killer who went around killing young women and children! If it's true he was in the military then he must be strong, so who knows what he may be capable of! Besides we don't have time, now that we know our heads are on the line here we should head out as soon as possible. Barret did you and Nanaki get any information?"

"Err…No, no we didn't" spoke Nanaki somewhat timidly but Cloud didn't notice as he looked back over to the girls, "That's fine, we'll take the map Tifa bought and keep going, perhaps we'll find something later. Let's get ready to head out."

Everyone at the time took their separate ways then, collecting their items and sorting out the supplies Tifa had brought as Tifa stayed where she was, holding onto the somewhat old and dirty poster in front of her, "So…Kris Hawkins, hmm?"

**0o0o00o0o**

"Aw man, I really need to stop making myself so outgoing. I'll end up loosing all my cash if I go around helping every good looking chick I see. Oh well, at least I did one good deed today." Spoke Tifa's mysterious stranger as he walked back to the other side of town. He sighed one last time before putting his wallet back in his pocket feeling somewhat annoyed by the fact that just last night the Shinra president was killed, leaving the young Rufus Shinra in charge of the company. The young man hoped deep down that he wasn't as greedy and as much of a tyrant as his father was. But then again, he had met the brat when he was younger and even then he was nothing but self-centered and spoiled.

Kris closed his eyes as he sighed once again, reaching into his other pocket to pull out a cigarette and lighter. He tried quitting the things a few years ago, but soon it just became a habit he didn't even think about anymore such as breathing or blinking and he wasn't about to complain. The now named Kris Hawkins found his mind going back to what happened at the company; it would appear that the supposedly dead Shinra General was the cause of it but then again they were only rumors. Even the newspaper said other wise, making Kris laugh somewhat in amusement as it read, "Shinra President Dies of Stroke" the very next day in the headlines.

The news sure inspired quite a commotion last night that was for sure. Many of the citizens went out to the local bar and drank to their new president leaving none to grieve for the old, fat bastard. If anything Kris would have joined them if he chose to be arrogant about the whole thing, but he wasn't one to do so. The only reason he even found out about the fact that it was Sephiroth was because that idiot red-headed Turk had decided to join the celebration, spreading the rumor himself that it was the indeed the General; and knowing that Reno was honest when drunk Kris found himself believing the young man. Kris knew better than to go straight up to the man and question him about it, so instead he stood around eavesdropping as Reno told it to anyone who was willing to listen to his story. It wasn't until the quiet, bald man pulled him out that everyone began laughing and calling him crazy as he left.

A part of Kris had hoped that the ghost of Sephiroth would arrive in town, but then again that may have been a bad idea. Kris' mind began to wonder as he took a seat at a bench by a local shop, taking his time to enjoy his cigarette as it too began to be neglected by its owner as it slowly burned away from the lack of usage. Kris placed his guitar next to him against the bench as he slowly felt the exhaustion from his lack of sleep last night get the better of him and soon he nodded off, leaving him outstretched on a bench in public as his cigarette fell to the ground.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"Alright Sephiroth, tell me what the square root of one hundred and forty four is."

"Ummm…"

"C'mon you know it! Haven't you been studying the review sheet I made for you?"

"I have! I'm just…distracted."

"By what? Is there something on your mind?"

"It's just…I heard you and Professor Hojo fighting again last night and…"

"…I see"

The scene took place back in the Shinra lab nearly twenty years ago as two young boys around ten years old were sitting next to each other with several school books in front of them. One looked rather saddened as the other looked up at the other with a somewhat troubled and painful look on his face.

"He…didn't hurt you did he?" Spoke one of them as he looked up at the other who was helping him with his studies.

"No…of course not." The other lied

The other only sighed, debating whether or not to believe him or not, "…I wish you wouldn't get on his bad side all the time."

"Well I have too; I promised I would look after you didn't I?"

"But…"

"No more talking, get back to work. He'll be back soon and I know he'll want to go over this with you when he arrives."

"…Al-alright…"

The somewhat older boy smiled down at the other, patting him on the head as he somewhat hugged him close to him before he spoke again, "Please don't worry to much. We have a dream to accomplish remember?"

The other boy smiled back up feeling himself feeling better about the situation as he nodded and spoke, "It's twelve."

"Good. Now try these…" came the voice of the other as the dream began to fade away back into the present, it was only then that Kris found himself staring straight at a young girl who was only a few centimeters from his face.

"What the hell?!" he cried as he backed up against the bench, startling the young girl as she began to blush uncontrollably then quickly run away. It was then that Kris realized that she was probably just watching him sleep.

"Damn, and it was a decent one this time too…" Kris whispered to himself as he stood up, feeling himself become somewhat lightheaded as he reached for his guitar that thankfully wasn't stolen from him as he took his small nap.

"I swear man! That crazy Turk that came in last night was right! I saw Sephiroth I swear!"

"Are you sure you just weren't seeing things you old drunk?"

The conversation certainly caught Kris' attention and quickly swinging his guitar over his back he followed the two men carefully, trying his best to not make it to obvious he was following them in order to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I'm sure! I didn't hit the bar until after this happened! I saw him man! He had such a serious look on his face that is until he would mumble to himself about something then grin like a psycho! I'm not lying! He didn't even stay long enough for anyone to notice because as soon as he got here he left and headed southwest!"

"Yeah, yeah. I believe you, but besides it doesn't matter anyway. It's not our business and rumor has it some big ass guy with a big ass gun is walking around with his lion pet looking for information on the guy, so unless you want a beating I suggest you keep quiet."

"Oh yeah…I heard about that too. John the postman almost got killed I heard!"

Kris suddenly found himself smiling with amusement, it would appear he wasn't the only one looking for the General after all, and it certainly didn't sound like anyone back at Shinra. Things were definitely becoming interesting.

Feeling no need to stick around anymore, Kris decided it was time to leave town. If indeed Sephiroth was a whole night ahead of him, then he would need some faster transportation. However unknown to his attention at the time, several Shinra soldiers had the town surrounded.


	3. Easy Money and Broken Men

_Chapter Three: Easy Money and Desperate Men_

"Well, this is just perfect."

As Cloud and the others began to exit the town they were greeted to the sight of guns and blue uniformed men from all directions, their faces covered in over-sized helmets that would cause anyone to forget they were people and not androids. The group was immediately caught off guard, but they prepared for battle just the same.

Kris however noticed the Shinra dogs as soon as they showed themselves. He took cover, finding himself looking toward the ground as he blended himself in the crowd as many curious town folks drew themselves to watch the show. Many of the men were already placing bets on who would win as fearful mothers quickly dragged their children away from the upcoming violence. Kris gently pushed the citizens out of his way as he brought himself closer to see who the men were after, only somewhat gasping in shock as he recognized a certain brunette.

"…Tifa?" he questioned softly into the air, making quick note of the others who were accompanying her. It was quite an interesting sight seeing the small group being harassed and threatened by the most powerful corporation in the world; the idea that they even felt threatened by such a strange group built curiosity in the young man. Was there really such a need for so many troops against then? As much as Kris wanted to help the young girl and her friends, he knew better than to get involved. The last thing he needed was Shinra locating him again, especially when the price on his head was still so high. The fact that he was even worth so much was because of a certain figure who was safely back at the company; Kris without realizing it had just then clenched his fist slightly as he thought of the very same person once again.

"Hey buddy, wanna make a bet? It's ten to one with odds pretty slim for the poor bastards Shinra plans on firing on. How about it? Feelin' lucky?"

Kris turned his head to the older man in sunglasses next to him, his grin bringing an upward slant as a golden tooth shined from the corner of his mouth. Kris usually found betting a waste of time, but as he grew older he always found his gut providing him with the best information that he could rely on; and so, he pulled out the last of his money from his wallet and handed it towards the stranger.

"I rather like those odds. Place it all on the group with the lovely young ladies in it."

The man took the money without hesitation. If this poor sap was willing to put it all on the losing side then that was his loss, "You got it bud. Good luck to--."

The man was cut off by the sound of bullets and shouts as everyone then took off in a panic. Kris quickly moved himself swiftly against the flow of the crowd, trying to draw himself in order to watch the fierce battle. It was then that Kris noticed who appeared to be the leader of the group; blond hair quickly caught his attention as it appeared to defy gravity itself as its owner. The young man wore a first class SOLDIER uniform, causing even more curiosity about his young lady's friends to build inside his mind. He quietly continued to observe from behind the building, feeling the need to only get involved when he felt they really needed it.

Their skills impressed him though as he observed, especially the two young ladies. Tifa's forceful punches caused him to cringe slightly as one of the soldiers she hit fell and pounded the ground hard, leaving an echoing sound of bones cracking as her blow broke the man's jaw bones. Kris felt himself sympathizing the man, for the result of that blow would now disfigure his face for life. The other woman in the pink dress, who was just as lovely Kris noted, had a great skill with her weapon as well; but tended only to use it when she needed to defend herself. She mostly stayed to the back, using the power of the materia she acquires to send powerful blasts of fire, ice and lightening among their enemy. The other two members, the red lion and the big guy quickly took the offense as they backed up their leader. Many of the men felt more fear from the fierce lion than any of the others as the beast let out a massive battle cry. The ground they were standing on felt like that of an earthquake as the might roar sent sparks of panic down their backs. The result of the intimidation forced the men to hesitate, leaving them helpless as Barret shot them down with the massive power coming from his arm alone.

The men weren't giving up however even as their numbers grew down more and more. Kris felt a sharp since of pride for them; he knew what it was like being just as those men are now. It reminded him so much of them men he once led once ago…

Eventually the men had to retreat, leaving only to his surprise the red headed Turk Reno as well as Tseng and Rude. Kris knew that if the soldiers couldn't destroy them, then the Turk's really didn't stand a chance. Thankfully Tseng, their leader, realized this and quickly had the men take the wounded and retreat, leaving a distraction that seemed to cause an even bigger commotion than the battle itself. And unfortunately for Kris as well as the others, they didn't take notice of the bomb that was left behind for them.

The explosion was massive, sending sparks of blue, green, and red out into the air. Kris couldn't help but think of fireworks as the frightening yet beautiful sight erupted before his eyes as he was lifted from the ground and into a tree. He quickly shook off the pain, rubbing his head as he slid himself up slowly from the ground. The devastation was in a somewhat small matter, the bomb was used more as a blinding light to keep the small group from attacking again than to injure anyone.

As the young man's sight finally restored Kris was able to see if the small group was alright. He sighed in relief once he saw that they were unharmed, just somewhat confused about the explosion and the sudden disappearance of their enemy. Kris took small note that their spiky leader had first helped up the young girl in the dress than the other, seeming to show care for both but more for the other. The thought quickly left his mind, it was none of his business whether the young miss was involved with anyone or not, but then again if this personal journey of his does end…

"Alright Tiger none of that now," Kris spoke out loud to himself as he brushed the dust off his clothes, pulling the guitar more comfortably around his back after he did so. It was only when he noticed the townspeople appearing once again from the safety of their homes and back into the street that he remembered that he had a few earnings to collect.

The smug smile on his face was priceless.

**O0o0o0o**

"I think I'm blind," spoke Tifa out loud as she rubbed her eyes once again, finding she grabbed Aeris' braid by accident, leaving Aeris to cry out slightly as Tifa pulled on it. Tifa had quickly apologized as she heard her friend scream however, but soon felt a laugh leave her lips quite abruptly as the flower girl pouted in response as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Tifa! That was mean!" joked Aeris as she pouted, giving the girl a small shove as she to began to laugh with her. Cloud just shook his head as he watched the two, finding a smile force itself on his face as he was glad to see the two had become such good friends already. He then drew his attention to his other two allies, ignoring the river flow of curses from Barret as Nanaki found himself just merely blinking a few times over and over again.

Eventually as the others took a few seconds to recover they were soon found themselves being yelled at by Kalm's every so kind citizens.

"Hey! One of you better have the gil to pay for my vegetable stand that you just wrecked!" cried a rather short yet very angry man that was covered in what appeared to be tomatoes and such as the group soon noticed the broken wood scattered across the area.

"Let's move out everyone!" spoke Cloud sternly as the others quickly nodded, running from the swarm of people that were quickly trying to go after them in an attempt to get answered questions. The people gave up sooner than expected, and within no time the group was back out toward the desert, and by nightfall found themselves at what appeared to be the end of the vast waste land that surrounded Midgar and Kalm.

"So what shall we do now?" asked the young lion companion as the group prepared to make camp for the night.

"Well, according to the map there is a chocobo farm in the direction we're heading. We could pick up a few birds to make our traveling easier as we do so," answered Cloud as he watched the two girls prepare their meal over the fireplace.

"I can't believe how easily we beat them back there; they didn't even pose as a threat!" Spoke Tifa as she began chopping a few potatoes for the stew.

"They're probably just using us for now." Spoke Cloud as he began to sharpen his blade with a nearby stone, "They're hoping that we do find Sephiroth so that they can stop him themselves. Besides, they wouldn't want any harm to come across Aeris anyway."

"That is true…" replied Tifa sadly as she looked toward her childhood friend, finding herself become lost in her thoughts once again as she quietly got back to preparing dinner with Aeris. The others stayed quiet as well, enjoying the peace and quiet of the night as much as they could. Who knew how long it would last?

**O0o0o0o0o**

"I believe you owe me something tough guy."

The man who Kris was addressing was too shocked for words to do much of anything. His sunglass were cracked somehow after being nearly trampled to death by the panicking crowd of people, and was now at the mercy of the man who was now the owner of all the precious gil he worked so hard to swindle away from everyone. He hesitantly threw Kris the bag of gil as he turned to run away, leaving nothing but a trail of tears and shame behind him as he left. Kris smirked as he watched the man go, feeling now that he tripled the amount of cash he had to begin with that it was time to buy a better form of transportation.

Unlike Cloud and the others Kris wasn't the type to enjoy riding chocobo. They were annoying, loud, and stank like rotten greens after a few days of no bathing of any kind. Kris found their usefulness somewhere between becoming a meal for him if he was starving or to be used as bait for an oversized dragon that needed to be fed.

No, that would be too cruel. Besides, they taste like shit anyway. The dragon would just spit the poor bastard out then go for him!

Kris had a much better means of transportation. One that was faster and much more fun to ride than an oversized chicken. All you had to do to feed it even was to put a few gallons of gas in it as well as an oil change or two every few months, and in this day and age that sure was a hell of a lot cheaper than buying greens to catch a damn bird. Thankfully for Kris, Kalm had an auto shop. It was small but it provided the needs that most people needed.

After just an hour or so of searching, he found the perfect thing for him.

"Hello, love…" Spoke Kris as he made his way over to his new precious toy.

As Kris made the final purchase, he couldn't help but show a small sign of pride as he bragged about his new set of wheels to the man he bought it from. The salesman was amused enough, and didn't feel the need to ruin his customer's fun as he played along.

"So," Kris began, carrying a smug look on his face, "Tell me again Frank the details of this bike that I am somewhat…Tempted to buy from your establishment."

"Well good sir, this is a very popular and demanding model. However, very few people can afford it at all."

"I see," spoke Kris as he put a somewhat questioning look towards Frank as he used his body language to look as if he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to purchase this object anymore. Trying to urge the man to say more about it, "Go on Frank, tell me more."

"Well sir, this is a 2006 Yamaha YZF-R1. It shows off a fabulous design of black and red melted together to show a much more fine coloring pattern, and has a fuel capacity of four point eighty-five quarts. The engine model is a 998cc, liquid-cooled, 20-valve, DOHC, in-line four-cylinder and is made great for interior and exterior transportation."

"I am very impressed Frank," Spoke Kris as he felt that he flattered the salesman quite enough. "I believe I shall purchase this fine vehicle from you dear Watson, for I believe that it meets all the standards that I find necessary."

"Very good sir."

Both young men shared a laugh together as they took amusement from their business deal and finally, after paying for the vehicle in cash Kris was on his way heading southwest as well. As soon as Kris was on the edge of the town he placed on his helmet, gracefully taking off his cap, letting his snow white hair fall down his back. He then tied it back into a ponytail, tucking it away inside the helmet. Kris then turned the gear, erupting a small 'vroom' noise from his bike which he decisively named **Seiteki.**

"I suppose it will only be a matter of time before we meet again."

**0o0o0o0o**

"Son of a bitch that hurts! Can't you be a little more gentle Doc?" asked Kris as he laid on a mat in the medical tent, getting attended for a minor flesh wound from a stray bullet that had ricocheted into his left leg while taking control of the small village called Kakunodate. The village was a well preserved samurai district which was used as a training camp for new Wutaiian recruits. Kris and Sephiroth were given orders from Shinra to take over the small village, taking as many Wutaiian fighters as possible as prisoners. They also took the time to take extra food and supplies for the many months ahead.

"Quit whinin' sir, I'm almost finished," replied the medic in an annoyed tone.

As vast as the villages numbers were compared to the Shinra fleet, they were sloppy and inexperienced. Even their higher ranking officers found it best to surrender as soon as possible, or else be at the mercy of the now infamous Shinra duo Captain Sephiroth and Major Kris Hawkins. According to rumors they were known to be merciful, and so they surrendered once the first line of their defenses were destroyed.

As Kris and his second in command led their men however through the village they were told by another that one of their men, a private, had been using the surrendered Wutaiians as target practice. Over eighteen young men no older than sixteen were killed one by one down the line, begging for him to stop as best as they could in English only to lie dead on the ground. According to eye witness reports from the other soldiers, the young recruit was drunk from left over sake he had found in one of the homes of the officers. Kris was furious when he found out of course, but he knew better than to rouse anger from a drunken man. After a few minutes of small prodding, Kris was able to convince the man to drop his weapon and head to the back of the fleet and to the aid tent. It was only then that the soldier's carelessness had forced his gun to go off, leaving Kris in a slight grid of pain as the bullet swung from a building and into his left leg. The pain was minor but it didn't help Kris' nerves at all. He shouted in a quite loud amount of vulgar and ordered the soldier then to go without food or water for a week as punishment, but many found that to be a little more than cruel.

"I can understand your anger Kris, but our men need water," spoke Sephiroth quite calmly, trying his best not to bring any anger towards his fellow commander.

"Our men also need to learn not to murder! Dammit Sephiroth! Its bad enough we had to deal with one hundred and fifty mako-enhanced humans that barley had any experience in combat what-so-ever. Then two years later after intense training and pointless battles before then finally getting on this god-forsaken island I end up loosing more than half of them, leaving me now with only seventy-three men! I now have to take in fucking replacements that only end up getting themselves killed in a matter of days, begging for a chance in action only to be left dying and bleeding out as they cry for their goddamn mothers! Now I have fucking drunk bastards going against orders because this war is causing us to be killed for no reason!" Kris slammed his fist into the desk that was in the tent barrack the two men shared, it was only a few minutes ago that they had just received a new order to prepare for the last assault against Wutai, leaving Kris in a state of nervousness and panic.

"Kris, please…Calm down. You know why we are here…" Spoke Sephiroth gently as he tried to comfort his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Kris just reached for a bottle on the table, taking a swing of the cold liquid inside as he walked away from the man, only to throw the bottle forcefully against the ground once he realized it was now empty, "I fucking know! But why are we here? Stupid, arrogant fuckers back at Shinra! Sending us here for what!? The only reason Shinra sent us here was to defeat Wutai so that they could use their land to withdraw a larger amount of mako! Mako! I'm forced to send good, honorable men to kill innocent people for MAKO! Do you not see the irony in all this!? Not only that, I fucking find out back at Matsunagi six months ago that Wutai now as more assault and military power than ever! Because fucking Shinra is selling them weapons for a profit in order to make money while they count on us to win this fucking war! So many dead… Fucking bullshit!"

Sephiroth could only look at his friend with remorse and pity. Being a leader is natural for some men, and even though Kris was a good soldier, Sephiroth knew that the pressure was getting to him. Ever since they were kids and attended the academy together, Kris had always been the one to take control of situations. He was quick and clever, never leaving a man behind. But eventually, that gets to men; especially the good ones. Kris was always there for him as a kid, but now Sephiroth felt that it was his turn now.

"Kris," spoke Sephiroth once again, forcefully pushing his friend to sit down for his leg was still injured, "I understand how you feel, but if we are to have the lives we wish to have then we have to win this war. You and I both knew that since we were kids that if we were to escape Shinra we had to lead them to victory. War is cruel, and we have to deal with that. These men respect you, and wish to follow you to the very end. For they too know that if they don't win this war, that they will never be able to go back to the life they left behind. You know who told me this? It was you."

Kris looked up at Sephiroth; he had his face in his hands at the time, but now he was looking at him face to face, trying hard not to let out the tears that begged to come out.

"I'm breaking down Sephiroth…I don't know how much of this I can take." Spoke Kris softly, "But…You are right. Thank you…"

Sephiroth then gave Kris one of his rare smiles, so few got to see them for he wished the men to believe he was cold and distant. Unlike Kris who was open and close to his men, Sephiroth believed that it was best not to do so, for it brings up the pain of loosing so comrades and friends. When they were young, their Colonel warned them of getting close with anyone. That alone, was what forced Kris to change his identity in order for Sephiroth and him to be together to lead this fleet. It was then that Sephiroth gave his friend a comforting hug as well.

"Be strong, Xonia…"

Kris laughed slightly as he heard this, giving Sephiroth a smile that hasn't been seen in days. "How long has it been since you called me that?"

"Long enough to make us both forget," answer Sephiroth as he smirked, quickly forcing it to a frown as two men welcomed themselves into the barrack quite prudently.

"Major Kris, Captain Sephiroth good job on today's mission, I made sure that the President back at Shinra as well as General Gackt got a full report all about it."

"Whoop-de-doo," whispered Kris sarcastically to Sephiroth he as they both stood at ease in front their Colonel, receiving a glare from the so called man as Sephiroth quickly tried to come up with an excuse for Kris' behavior.

"I apologize Colonel Dwight sir, the Major got injured just an hour or so ago. He's not in the best of moods. We thank you for the compliment."

"At ease you two, neither of you need to prove your worth to me. I'm just an old man with a badge on his uniform. You both have done more in your lives already then I've done in my lifetime, if anything I'm starting to like Hawkins here. You start getting tired of men treating you like your some badass after awhile, so I rather like the change of pace."

Sephiroth was about to give modesty to the man but another voice rang first.

"Why thank you sir. I'll be sure to treat you like the biggest piece of shit that ever existed," out spoke Kris with a sheer smile on his face as he saluted, forcing Dwight and him to share a laugh together, leaving the poor Captain Sephiroth to shake his head at the two men.

"I appreciate it Hawkins. But we should probably work out our strategy before I get my ass chewed out by the brigadier. Besides I've got some good news for both of you about the assault on Wutai that's being put into action in a few days."

"What would that be sir?" asked Sephiroth who, out of habit, was still at ease. "I'm sure we could use whatever help we can get."

"According to these reports, you'll be getting air support from the air fleet led by a young man named Cid Highwind. Turns out, like you two, he got himself up pretty high in the rankings and took his old man's place as head of the fleet. Hopefully he won't screw it up."

"Highwind…" whispered Kris in disbelief. "Sir, what exactly happened to Falco?"

"Got killed I'm afraid. Turns out that his wife was a nurse down in a military camp that was just recently built up just out at the very bottom of the island, it became the main hospital for our injured but unfortunately Wutai attacked it. Bombed it to hell too, killed everyone there. The reason Falco got killed was because he was on a forty-eight hour leave for some time off. Poor bastard, turns out the wife was expecting too."

"Damn…" Kris whispered again. "Poor Cid…There must be a lot of pressure on him to do this. I met Falco before, spent the whole time bragging about his wife and kid to me the whole time we talked."

Colonel Dwight looked toward the young soldier, holding an expression of annoyance and anger on his face. "You should know better by now Hawkins, or do I have to remind you again about getting close to the men? Don't make me regret giving you head of Pro Company. Understand?"

Kris didn't care for a lecture at the time; there was no sense in discussing this with the old man. "Yes sir…But I…"

"No buts Major! Never put yourself in a position where you can take from these men, do you understand me?"

Kris this time only nodded, trying to hold back his pent up anger as he sighed. Once again it was no use.

"I understand Sir. But do you really think this is a good idea? Cid is still so young; do you really believe that he can command a whole air fleet on his own? He's doesn't even have much experience."

"That may be so, but he's all we got. No one else knows about planes as much as that man and I have full faith in him, just like I did his father. Besides, if I recall correctly he is two years older than both of you?"

"It's true that a lot can happen in two years sir, but I still don't like it."

"Never the less, I expect you both to look at this professionally, and Kris?"

"Yes sir?"

"Don't do anything you'll regret later, got it?"

Kris wasn't sure what his Colonel meant when he said that, but none the less he really didn't care and so he just nodded as he spoke, "I got it."

"Alright, now let's get back to business…"

Kris didn't pay to much attention after that. His mind kept going back to the news of loosing another close friend. Sephiroth knew it enough, and so therefore did not push him; he was used to being the one to be sure to pay attention for he would be sure to know that Kris understood what the plan was later. But for now, all Kris could think about was when he could get a drink.

**O0o0o0o**

Well, this chapter kind of took me awhile. I didn't feel like having them join parties yet so yeah. At least you're all learning more about Kris and Sephiroth now. I would love some reviews and comments if you can.


	4. Stubborn Chocobos and A New Recruit

_Chapter Four: Stubborn Chocobos and a New Recruit_

"Hey look! Over there! There's one!"

"Where?"

"Over there on the edge of the forest!"

"Oh! It's so cute!"

"Aeris, Tifa, keep your voices down, you'll scare it away!" shouted Cloud once he found the girls again, afraid their high-pitched voices would catch their prey's attention and force it to run away, or maybe if it felt like it, attack them.

The group had just arrived at the chocobo farm that morning, finding the kindness of an old man and his son as both allowed the group to come in and rest for the night, taking the time to tell them as much as they knew about the practice of raising and catching chocobo. When Cloud had politely asked if they could purchase or borrow a few at the moment they were kindly turned down, for the farmers had none to spare at the moment and were taking care of a flock that belonged to another customer, and so Cloud and company were now forced to catch their own. Not only that, it brought back another problem of the groups lack of money, leaving them with no greens of any kind to catch any.

When Billy, the farmer's son, heard this however he offered to give them a few for free, allowing them to at least have a chance of accomplishing the task of catching at least one so that they could cross the desert just a few miles from where they were.

None of them knew about the desert however till they were told about it, for Cloud had suggested that perhaps they should forget about trying to capture any birds and make it across by foot. Thankfully for the sake of Aeris and Tifa, who were about to pout about having to walk again, they were saved by the knowledge of Billy who warned them of a monster that lived underground.

Seems that they have no choice now.

"Where are Barret and Nanaki?" Aeris asked as she handed Cloud the greens that Billy back at the farm graciously gave.

"I let them stay back, I can't risk Barret's loud vulgar getting away the only chance we have at catching one of these things, and I let Nanaki stay behind in order to keep him company."

Tifa giggled, "I can see what you mean! Barret would probably shoot the poor thing to death if we even managed to catch it!"

"Oh my!" Cried Aeris as she giggled as well, placing her hand over her mouth as to not laugh to loud.

"Alright, are you two ready?" Cloud then asked, receiving a nod from the two young women as he then sent the signal to have them carefully place themselves around their prize in an attempted to keep it from escaping as they surround it. Once the girls were in place, Cloud threw out the greens, slightly startling the yellow feathered creature as it cautiously smelled the bait that now laid out in front of him. A sudden happy chirp then filled the air as the oversized bird began eating them almost savagely.

As it was distracted Tifa and Aeris came out of the shrubs, doing their best to not make a sound as they now took their plan into motion. Aeris nodded to Tifa as Tifa did the same and suddenly without any delay they charged, both grabbing the giant prey by the neck as Cloud then rushed forward.

He leaped, landing right on the birds back as he wrapped the harness around it' s beak and neck as he gripped the reins, yelling toward the girls to now let it go and get out of the way as he did his overpower the now upset, and captured creature. The sound of 'warks' consumed Cloud's ears as he did his best to control it, gripping the reins and its neck tightly as the beast gave away a massive tantrum as it attempted to throw Cloud off its back.

Aeris and Tifa both held their breaths in worry as they watched the young man attempt to bring the beast down. Aeris found herself holding Tifa's hand tightly as the girls did their best to cheer him on. After what seemed to last forever the creature had stormed off, stampeding into the direction of the girls, unaffected by the tight grasp Cloud had on the reins. Tifa reacted first, showing Aeris out of the way before jumping to the opposite side.

"Cloud!" cried Tifa as she immediately chased after him, Aeris following in pursuit as well.

"Damn…" hissed Cloud. How much energy did this bastard have?

A sudden yellow light then surrounded him, forcing Cloud to gasp as he immediately felt as if everything around him had frozen. The air, the wind, and the speed of the chocobo..it was as if it had all was locked in time. It was then that he realized he couldn't move, he tried turning his head only to realize that he seemed to be stuck in a slow motion escapade. He then heard what appeared to be Tifa.

"Nice work Aeris! This thing is as wild as hell!"

He then heard a giggle, "Thanks, I wish I didn't have to hit Cloud with it though."

"Ah, don't worry about him he'll be fine. Right, Cloud?"

Cloud then felt a hard slap on his back, inflicting pain on him that he wasn't able to cope with, he tried to speak, which apparently he was still capable of even with the effect of the materia surrounding him.

"Tifa!" he shouted.

Tifa turned her head toward him, not showing as much shock as Aeris that he managed a few words. "You can still speak? Well it isn't that strong yet so I suppose it's possible-"

Cloud's irritation forced him to interrupt her, "Tifa, listen. Undo the reins and wrap its legs before it wears off."

"Already taken care of, here let's get you down so you don't collide onto the ground with it." Tifa grabbed the back of his shirt, tossing him onto the ground gently as Aeris giggled from the scene. Tifa then laid the bird down as gently as possible; the sound of warks still pouring from its mouth as Aeris then came over, petting the feathers on the creature's neck in an attempt to calm it down.

"I feel a little bad for it…" whispered Aeris as she then looked to Tifa, finding an arm around her shoulders as Tifa pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry so much, as soon as we cross the marsh we'll let it back into the wild. We can't exactly keep it with us the whole time, especially if this is the only one we got."

"I know, but if we only have one, how are we going to get across? Are we going to take turns or something?"

Tifa brought a finger to her chin, looking up as if the sky would answer that for her, "Well, I suppose that's what we're going to have to do." She sighed then, crossing her arms over her chest, "This is such a pain in the ass! I bet that sand monster isn't so tough! I say we just go straight on through and take it down, that way we save anyone else the trouble of doing this!"

Aeris only stared at her friend before she began to laugh, covering her mouth as Tifa then pouted at her, placing her hands on her hips, "Hey! Don't laugh! What's so funny anyway? You're not mocking me are you?"

"No! No!" cried Aeris as she tried speaking between gasps and laughter, "It's just you look so cute and your face looks so funny when you look determined like that!"

Tifa found she was blushing as heat quickly went to her face, but she quickly played it off as she turned her head away, "Th-there's nothing wrong with being determined! I-it's a good quality! He-hey, stop laughing!"

Aeris' laughter then died as she suddenly cried out in surprise as the chocobo next to them began to stir again, quickly kicking its feet against the ground as it attempts to sit up. Cloud came along as well, looking somewhat annoyed as he brushed the dirt of his clothes.

"Thanks for just leaving me on the ground you two…"

Tifa began to laugh as Aeris apologized, for unlike Tifa, she didn't mean to abandon him like that…

Cloud turned away and sighed, hiding the blush that was creeping on his face as Aeris smiled at him, sending his attention back to the bird as it then began to finally relax and calm down. "We should try riding it again soon; he did say that once it calms down that it would be more tolerable."

"The kid back at the farm right?" asked Tifa, "He's a weird one…"

"Tifa!" cried Aeris in surprise from her statement.

Tifa stuck her tongue out at her, "What? Can't I have a personal opinion? Farmer boys are not my type…"

"So…what is your type then?" teased Aeris as Cloud pretended he wasn't paying attention.

Tifa smirked, winking before replaying, "Sec-ret."

**0o0o0o**

"Dammit…I forgot how much I hated sleeping outdoors…"

It was nearly noon when Kris had awakened, his guitar and bike next to where he slept as the fire he made that night finally died itself down. Kris kicked himself in the back of his head for not putting it out last night, the last thing he needed was vast fields catching on fire and arson becoming another bounty on his head…

He sighed, standing up as the silent pop noise from his back filled his ears as he stretched and fixed his hat. He was too lazy to properly groom himself today. He then grabbed his guitar, placing it over his shoulder as to what appeared to be a natural daily routine for the past few years. He then reached for a small pack that resided under the seat of his bike, containing a few supplies of rations and extra clothing, as well as what appeared to be an old photograph. Kris only looked at it for a moment, seeing only the black and white colors as the edges were bent from the years of only caring it around in his pocket.

"How are you today…old friend?" Kris asked it as he then placed it back down, now residing himself on his bike as the engine roared, bringing a startle to the birds that fled the area around him as he took off, wishing he could let his hair out to enjoy the wind that blew against his face.

How long has it been since I began looking for you? Four years? Or is it five now? Kris asked in his mind as he rode down the vast field.

The fact that he now had more miles than he planned to cover didn't place much on his nerves; then again, many things haven't lately. He had planned to ride that whole night, but eventually the exhaustion got to him, forcing him to stop and set camp which only brought him to pass out and sleep a dreamless sleep for the first time in years.

**O0o0o0o**

_When this is over Kris, I'm going to live a life of peace. Somewhere…away from everyone else, perhaps own a small farm or garden, what do you think?_

_Sounds too simple and boring for my tastes.. Why not travel the world with me first? Midgar and the Wutai Island are the only places we've ever seen, anyway._

_You know…I would like that too; I always wanted to see Midel and Costa del Sol._

_It's settled then! I'll take you there one day, just you wait!_

**O0o0o0o**

Kris shut his eyes tightly as the memory entered his mind again, he slowed down the bike, trying not to go to fast until the fog that now covered his vision past.

"Dammit…stop acting this way…"

Kris then suddenly turned up the speed, going thirty, and forty, sixty, then eighty. He didn't care if he crashed, didn't care if he got injured, it didn't matter, no matter how many wounds or how badly he was hurt he would never be killed. At least, he didn't believe that he would anyway. He then looked up ahead seeing what appeared to be a farm house but he merely went on by it, not caring to stop or even acknowledge it was there. The careless driver barley turned his head toward it, seeing for only a split second the sight of gun armed man and lion resting by the field. He stood in surprise for a moment, not expecting to run into the group so soon. Should he stop? Question them? No…If this was really something they were serious about then he would most definitely see them again, so there was no need to get involved yet.

"Cloud, be careful! Calm or not that thing is still a wild animal!"

Kris looked around, hearing a voice that he couldn't see belonged to.

"Damn! This thing is stubborn!" It was another, a man's voice this time, but where the hell were they?

Suddenly, a scream was heard as a sudden yellow figure came out of the forest, startling Kris as he slammed the brakes on his bike, turning it as best as he could so as to not run into what was coming after him. The bike toggled, spinning out of control as Kris was then thrown off of it. He hit the ground hard as his body rolled a few times before stopping, his bike continuing to roll in the opposite direction as he gasped out in pain. "Damn that hurt…" he whispered as he slowly sat up, checking to make sure nothing was broken as he then stood up slowly, coughing a few times as he then looked up to see what the hell had hit him. He turned around as he heard the sound of screams and cries as the chocobo came charging again, this time, at a young woman.

Kris' eyes lit up and widened once he noticed it was Tifa he charged finding that Tifa was about to be trampled as he ran toward her, somehow to Cloud's disbelief as he noticed the man running to him. Cloud tried to stop the beast, but it was ignoring him, not caring even if Cloud broke his neck from the massive tugs he was giving it from the reins.

Tifa was doing her best to get away, dodging and rolling out of the way as much as possible to avoid the creature, but it was relentless. Tifa felt that this might be the end for her as she began shouting at Cloud, expressing some threatening vulgar to him if he didn't stop the beast from chasing her soon. She then gasped as she felt a sudden, quick figure grab her and carry her away. At first Tifa didn't know what to think or do as she looked up, seeing bright green eyes again as she suddenly remembered the man that helped her back at Kalm. She then felt him stop land on the ground, continuing to carry her as he then looked down at her, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Are you alright, Miss Tifa?"

"Uhh…I…" she stammered.

"Tifa!" another voice shouted as Aeris ran up to her friend, ignoring Kris completely as the older man put her down, stepping back a little once Aeris hugged her friend tightly.

"Thank goodness you're alright! I thought for sure you would be trampled to death!"

"Aeris…" began Tifa.

"Umm…should we try to help your friend over there?"

Aeris then looked to her side, noticing the taller man who just saved Tifa once he spoke, she then looked toward Cloud who was now forced to ride in circles as the chocobo now brought its attention to Cloud to force him off its back. Aeris sighed, believing that perhaps there was no way they would be able to get around this now.

"Maybe we should let it go…" spoke Aeris.

"I agree," replied Tifa, "That over sized feather ball is really starting to piss me off."

"Not to mention…it wrecked my bike."

Aeris and Tifa looked toward him again, only noticing then the pieces of metal scattered about a few feet away from the scene where he saved her, it became more obvious once they noticed the small amounts of dirt on the man's face and clothing.

"Umm…you're the guy from the wanted poster right? The one who helped Tifa earlier?" asked the young flower girl as she then turned to Tifa, who nodded.

"Uh huh…" answered Kris, scratching the back of his head as he tried to figure out whether he should run away from the scene, or stick around to help what appeared to be…their current troubling situation.

The sound of Cloud screaming in the background consumed the groups ears as they watched in somewhat, amusement until Kris finally spoke up.

"Shouldn't we..

"How?" questioned Tifa, "If you got any ideas then go ahead and try, the damn thing is too stubborn."

"Did you try pulling its tail feathers?" asked Kris naturally.

"What…? Tifa asked, bewildered from the statement. Did she hear him right?

"You know, pull its tail feathers, it tends to work often. It's a sign of respect that they use for each other."

"You're making that up," stated Tifa, finding that to be a load of bull-

"Cloud!" shouted Aeris as she ran over to him, ignoring the shouts of Tifa who followed behind her. Kris merely watched, going over to his bike as the commotion continued, attempting to check to see just how much damage it had acquired to avoid the spiky haired idiot and his pet.

"Pull its tail feathers!"

"What?! Have you gone crazy Aeris? Get away before it tries chasing you too!"

"Aeris! Let me do it, you'll just get yourself hurt!"

"Relax Tifa! I almost got it!

Kris sighed and rubbed his forehead. What kind of idiots did he get himself involved with?

**O0o0o0o**

"Err…"

"Don't start with me Barret."

"Jus' saying man…"

"Well I don't want to hear it!"

"Cloud, please calm down," whispered Aeris as she brought an ice pack for the semi-injured young man.

"Yeah…" Cloud replied lowly as he placed the cool, almost numbing plastic on the side of his face.

"I can't believe it got away…" whispered Tifa who then came into the room where the group had gathered back too. It would seem that even after Kris' suggestion that the bird finally managed to throw Cloud of his back and get away. Poor Cloud suffered a minor injury as his face slammed in to a rock on the way to the ground.

"So what happened to the man you ran into?" spoke the young lion as he stretched, following Tifa's movements as the young woman went to the window placed by he front door of the farmer's home. He noticed Tifa move the curtain to look out, before she answered him.

"He's in the barn, it seemed that he crashed his bike when trying to avoid Cloud, he's doing repairs in order to get it fixed."

"What the hell are we waiting fer!? Let's get that punk and question him! He might jus' know something! He's wanted remember?"

"I agree with Barret," spoke Cloud as soon as he heard Barret's statement, "I would like to know about his connection with Shinra."

"He-hey hold on!" cried Tifa as she blocked the door. "As far as I can tell he's a pretty good guy! He helped me out not only once, but twice now!"

Cloud sighed, showing a bit of an annoyed expression as Aeris walked to his side.

"I…agree with Tifa, Cloud."

Cloud looked to his side, seeing the gentle green eyes first as a gentler expression then came across his face, he stammered, trying to get his way still. "I still think we should talk to him at least. I don't want any trouble either, but if he knows something about Sephiroth then we shouldn't hesitate to ask. If he can give us any information and help us out, then that is all I need and want from him."

Aeris smiled up at him, clasping her hands together as she then looked to Tifa. "It's settled then! Let's go, let's go!" She forcefully pushed Tifa out the door first, having the guys follow behind then as they made their way to the barn. As they made their way to the opening they were greeted with the sight of hay and chocobo as a few chirps and warks filled the rooms from the now occupied stables. The sound of slight cursing and the banging of metal were heard as well, as a figure that was kneeling on the side of a vehicle then caught their attention.

Tifa took in a breath as she made her way to the man, finding that she had stopped in her tracks once the figure turned around from the sound of her steps grazing against the hay that laid on the ground.

"Good to see you again, Miss Tifa. Are you alright?"

"Ah…yes, thank you. How are the repairs coming? It didn't get too damaged did it?"

The man smiled, raising himself from the ground as he dusted his hands off, the sight of grease and dirt covering his right hand only, for his left was covered with a leather glove. "Nah, it's all good."

Tifa smiled, finding that she was once again looking into the bright green eyes that sent chills and unwanted emotions through her heart. Tifa knew it to be fear, but for some reason, she knew she wasn't in danger.

Cloud then coughed, butting into the conversation, "Listen, I would like to ask you some questions if you don't mind…and I won't take no for an answer."

Kris looked to Cloud, trying to hide his annoyance as he placed his hands on his hips loosely as he bend his back a little stretch, "That's fine. But I should really be on my way soon," he paused, sending Cloud a slight glare for he did not like the demanding tone from the younger man, "What is it?"

Cloud felt the tension between him and the other rise, finding that he was now clenching his fist for he sensed that perhaps the man was about to attack him. He changed him expression to one of seriousness, "What is your connection with Shinra? We know they are after you…Kris."

Kris was slightly taken back, but didn't show it. He replied casually, "They're angry at me."

"Why is that?"

"For leaving…Shinra I mean. I was part of a military company that succeeded in helping win the war. They were not happy about the fact that I left without telling anyone."

No one believed him, that is, until Barret spoke up.

"Wa-wait. Yer name is Kris Hawkins, right?"

"That's right…"

"That's what I thought! I know you! You were a higher ranking officer fer Prototype Company! You guys won the war when you succeeded in the invasion of Wutai!"

"What?! Really?" cried Tifa in surprise as she then began thinking to herself. "I think I remember reading about the name a few times, but I wasn't too interested in the war back then…" She turned to Cloud for only a moment, turning her head away once he looked back at her.

Kris turned his head away slightly, trying to force a smile as memories came back into his mind, "I won't lie to you. I was known as Major Kris Hawkins, head of Prototype Company to plan the invasion in Wutai. I got tired of war however, and so, once Wutai surrendered, I left, not caring to look back."

"Why leave though?" questioned Tifa with curiosity, "Surely you would have been known as a hero if you came back!"

Kris then looked toward her, shocking Tifa with the look of sadness in her eyes as she then quickly turned away; she felt her heart begin to pound once she recalled the piercing green orbs striking her own. Tifa slowly looked turned her head to look back at him once he let out a sarcastic smirk.

"Heroes?" He whispered as he turned to go back and work on the repairs, "There's no such thing…"

A small cloud of tension and silence filled the room after the word's echoed themselves into the group's mind, only the sound of gears turning and metal clicking came as Cloud then spoke up again, a little more gentle tone flowing from his voice.

"I still can't see why exactly they would be after you though…many soldiers let after the war, many of them even going as far as abandoning the cause completely."

"…You asking from person experience?" the older man inquired as he pointed the sharp end of the screwdriver he had at Cloud.

"Excuse me.. Cloud replied, somewhat dumbfounded.

"That is a soldiers uniform you have on, isn't it? Not to mention those baby blues of yours."

"Err…well…I"

Kris interrupted him, "Don't worry kid, I'm just pulling your strings."

Cloud gritted his teeth, somewhat annoyed with the comment, "…Kid..

Kris then smiled going over to Cloud and forcing the younger man into a handshake, "Like I said, relax! If you keep your face like that to long you'll never be able to smile again."

"… Cloud didn't bother responding, deciding instead to just pull his hand back immediately from the strong grip the man purposely implanted on him.

Kris then turned his head back to Tifa, giving her a wink as he then put an arm around Cloud and walked off with him to the outside of the barn, speaking in a low voice even though he knew the others would be able to hear him, "So, how about you tell me what exactly you're looking for."

"What do you mean?" responded Cloud, as he brushed the man's arm off his shoulder.

"I saw what happened back at Kalm, you all sure caused a big ruckus that's for sure!" he then laughed, "I'm just curious why a whole flock of soldiers went after you."

Cloud crossed his arms and glared at the man once again, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at the moment, "I don't trust you enough to tell you that." He then unconsciously looked toward Aeris, making it obvious for Kris as he then turned to the young lady as well.

"You have good taste."

"Wh-what!? Excuse me?" Cried Cloud as a faint redness formed on his face as Aeris giggled and turned away to Tifa who shared a laugh with her, just embarrassing Cloud even more.

Kris grinned, punching Cloud in the arm playfully as if they had been friends for years, "What's the young lady's name exactly?"

Aeris turned around, finding that she had pulled Tifa with her as she went up to introduce herself, "I'm Aeris, Aeris Gainsworth!"

"Aeris!" Cloud cried.

"…Aeris?" Kris whispered, as the smile on his face quickly turned to what of disbelief and confusion. He merely looked over her a few times, as he then suddenly looked lost, as if he was thinking about a lost memory from long ago.

Aeris noticed the stare, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as she then hid behind Tifa, who didn't notice the sudden change in Kris at the time.

"I see then…" he whispered.

"Eh?" interrupted Barret who had just been sitting back watching the scene.

Kris turned his head, just now taking interest in the man as well as the good sized lion next to him. Kris made his way over to Nanaki, stopping in front of him as Kris just stared at him for almost a good minute.

Nanaki only eye him, feeling very nervous as he was stared down, finding he was getting annoyed as a sudden pain in his ears then came to him for Kris had suddenly pulled his ears.

Nanaki growled, "What are you doing!?

"Such a strange creature…" stated Kris simply as he continued to squeeze the ears, suddenly then scratching the back of them as Nanaki found he was then shaking his leg against his own accord as the snarl on his face turned to one of relaxation as he then began to purr.

"What the hell man!? I thought you were gonna kill him or somethin'!

Kris turned to the man who was suddenly shouting at him, noticing the gun arm immediately as he then went over to him, examining the gun arm from where he stood, "Nice piece of hardware you got there buddy."

Barret only glared at him, suddenly placing his arm against his chest as if he was afraid Kris would tear it off an examine it as he almost did with Nanaki's ears.

Kris realized this and smiled, suddenly looking over to Aeris as he then crossed his arms and nodded his head, "Alright then."

"Hmm?" mewed Tifa who just now just realized the sudden change in the man from when they first came into the barn. It was as if his personality made a dramatic change of some kind almost instantly.

"I'm going to come with you, it's decided!" Kris cried now going over to his bike and turning the engine, receiving a lively noise from the vehicle.

Cloud and the others stood dumbstruck for a while, that is, until they all cried out at the same time.

"What?!

"That's right." Kris responded as he smiled.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are thinking you can do whatever you want!? screamed Cloud, not liking the fact that his position was being threatened at the moment.

"Well it makes sense don't you think? We're both after Shinra, and we both have reasons for it, don't we? Besides, I already know your current predicament."

"What do you mean?" questioned Cloud, not liking where this was going at all.

"Well…if we join forces, then I'll help you get across the desert. Seeing how you lost the chocobo in the first place."

Cloud thought about this for a moment. He didn't want to admit it but the man was right, they could certainly use the help getting across, not to mention the fact that having another solder on their side would be a great advantage to him.

There were other risks of course, considering that they truly knew nothing about the man, none the less what the hell he was after or is planning. He would just have to keep an eye on him till now.

Cloud sighed, finally agreeing to the terms, "Alright, you can join us."

"What the hell man!? screamed Barret, "I don't like this one bit man! I don't trust this guy at all!"

"Don't give yourself a stroke old man," Kris retorted as he then smirked, suddenly dodging to the side almost gracefully as Barret tried to take a swing at him.

"You arrogant pretty boy!"

"Enough!" cried Tifa as she tried to calm the man down, "The last thing we need is a brawl at the moment! Besides if we're to trust him we have to get to know him a little better right?"

Barret scowled and turned around, stomping out of the barn as Kris jumped off the haystack he had retreated on, "I don't think you're friend likes me very much."

"Well, he does have good reason too," responded Tifa.

"That is true…" replied Kris, now moving over to Cloud, "give me some time to get ready and we'll head out. We'll take turns crossing the marsh, and if anything happens don't worry, I'll take care of it."

"…You really are the arrogant and cocky type huh?" responded Cloud as he walked out as well, finding that Aeris was now following him, leaving Tifa alone in the barn with him. Cloud turned to wait for her, and of course, she eventually followed, waving to Kris politely as she left as well, leaving the man to himself again.

As soon as they were gone, Kris' smile that was forced on his face the whole time faded as he took a seat on one of the hay stacks, staring onto the floor as he then held his head in his hands. A part of him believed that is would be a mistake helping them, or getting involved with them in anyway. But Kris wanted answers, and if anything knew anything about Sephiroth it was better to stick with them. Not to mention, he also had another reason to stick around.

Kris sat up quickly and went to one of the stalls that one of the bright yellow birds resided in. Kris sighed, petting the creature's beak and feathered head as he spoke to it.

"She looks so much like her mother, don't you agree?"

**O0o0o0**

**Authors Notes**: I know I didn't get many reviews for my first three chapters but I did receive a few PMs from people giving me suggestions and telling me they like where it's going. I'll be sure to try harder…thanks again!

EDIT: In case any of you knew yet, I changed the rating to T once I realized it was going to be awhile for it to reach M (did lots of rough drafting...) So yeah...just felt like saying that.


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